Alignment of wheels in a vehicle influences cruising characteristics and drivability of the vehicle and are, therefore, important from the viewpoints of riding comfort as well as safety to the passengers. In addition, if the wheels of the vehicle are out of alignment with each other, it can result in excessive or uneven wear of the tires aggravating the handling and stability of the vehicle, and adding to cost of maintenance of the vehicle. Accordingly, the wheels are periodically checked to determine whether they are in alignment and are to be adjusted or not. Usually, the wheels are provided in the vehicle in such a way that alignment can be adjusted even after assembly of the wheels and may not involve dismounting of the wheels.
Conventional techniques for alignment can be classified into two main categories—one involving contact of alignment detection equipment with the wheels for determining the alignment of the wheels and the being contactless. In the latter case, the alignment detection equipment usually includes two or more image capturing devices provided at each wheel. The images captures for each wheel are processed and compared to a standard image to determine whether the wheels are aligned or not.